Fading Afternoon (2023)

Fading Afternoon takes us to Japan in the 80s, in what we could define as the mixture of a mafia life simulator with a walking simulator and a beat 'em up, all seasoned with beautiful pixel art and an exceptional soundtrack. . Fading Afternoon is a charming game that radiates melancholy and longing for a time gone by. It is not perfect nor does it pretend to be, nor is it for everyone, because if its narrative does not catch you, you will end up tired of its loop. However, if we let ourselves be carried away by their proposal, with Fading Afternoon authentic caviar awaits us, which although not everyone may like, its quality is beyond any doubt.

Fading Afternoon is a very ambitious game that improves on Technos' decades-old Kunio-kun formula in almost every way. It's certainly the most accomplished of Yeo's works to date, and impressive in its polish. What really shines, though, is the way it expands on its life-simulator elements and those all-important details. It keeps things fresh, interesting, and compelling. Although regularly punctuated by satisfying gangland violence, it's not a fast game by any means. With its downbeat plotline and melancholic motifs, it's more an experience to become absorbed in, to be explored and tapped for all its little surprises and diverging paths on subsequent playthroughs. For everything it strives to achieve, beyond anything else, Fading Afternoon is incredibly charming.

The world feels lived-in thanks to a narrowly focused daily life sim that pairs well with combat that is the most robust work they've done to date. Minor user interface issues aside, I find myself thinking about the next time I can boot it up, batter some bad guys (or baseballs), and see whether I can make good enough use of my time to progress the story further. I've appreciated witnessing the growth and refinement of Yeo's development prowess, and this is their best work to date.

I appreciate Yeo for being willing to put himself out there, put the art ahead of the commercial best practices, and craft something that is eccentric, nuanced, and even profound. Fading Afternoon isn’t an “entertaining” game in the traditional sense, but it’s a powerful one that will leave you reflective and pensive by the time you put it down. The games industry needs more people like Yeo.

For players who have the patience and curiosity to push through learning the game's idiosyncrasies, Fading Afternoon can offer a profound gameplay experience that makes a given playthrough feel like a life lived.